Annona, Sugar Apple, Sweet Sop??

[Carbo]

Mrs. Carbo, who is from Colombia, brings home some seeds one day as she returned from a trip to Brazil.  She tells me they are Annona, and I have no idea what she's talking about. . .as usual.  Think Gloria, from Modern Family. 
I put off dealing with her and her seeds for some time until she wears me down and I throw them in a sunny spot and forget about them.  That was about a year ago.  Now I have this three foot tree that is looking pretty healthy and determined.  So, what have I got on my hands here?
I've never eaten one.  What's the taste like?
As far as growing one of these trees, what do I need to do?  My very limited experience with one mango tree is all I have to fall back on.  Do I tip this thing?  Fertilize it?  What kind of insects will I need to do battle with?  How big will it grow?  Is fungus a problem?
Any help is appreciated.  As always, many thanks in advance.

[JF]

a chirimoya( A. reticulata)  senhor....creamy and sweet but grainy

[Carbo]

She tells me that is not what I planted.  The fruit is supposedly green and pineapple like on the outside.

[JF]

Ok here is the tree

[bsbullie]

Joe - were you posting the picture of the custard apple as an ID ?  If one didn't know they might think you were focusing on the mamey and/or saps.

From his "green pineapple" description, he is describing a sugar apple, not a custard apple.  Sugar apples are widely found in Columbia.

[murahilin]

Carbo,
Can you post a pic of the tree?

[JF]

Joe - were you posting the picture of the custard apple as an ID ?  If one didn't know they might think you were focusing on the mamey and/or saps.

From his "green pineapple" description, he is describing a sugar apple, not a custard apple.  Sugar apples are widely found in Columbia.

that's why I posted a pic of the tree....I know the differences. btw, why are my pics zooming in and out??? the mamey and saps are there by accident.

[Tropicdude]

Also here in the Dominican Republic, Sugar Apples are generically called "Anonas"by the locals , so I am guessing they also call them that in Colombia , the "green pineapple" is a good clue.

good thing about these plants is you wont have to wait long for them to fruit, I had a seedling start flowering only 2 years from a seed. and this is from one in a container on a third floor balcony.   sadly I didn't get to taste the fruit, went on a trip and it ripened and went splat in just a matter of days. i have another on the way.

[Felipe]

Well, 'anona' in South America could be ANY kind of annonacea, even rollinia sp. 

[Carbo]

The picture by bsbullie is the one.  So it's safe to say it's a sugar apple?  Fair enough.  Here are two pictures taken just now:






Assuming we've identified the tree, can anyone help with the questions in my original post:
I've never eaten one.  What's the taste like?
As far as growing one of these trees, what do I need to do?  My very limited experience with one mango tree is all I have to fall back on.  Do I tip this thing?  Fertilize it?  What kind of insects will I need to do battle with?  How big will it grow?  Is fungus a problem?

Thank you!

[Pan Dulce]

Whatever kind of annona that is, its a nice bushy one!

[Berto]

Carbo,
Here is my experience with pinha/ata/fruta-do-conde/anon/anona/sugar apple/sweet sop (annona squamosa).
It is a variety not difficult to cultivate.  I fertilize it maybe four (4) times a year.  It will depend what kind of soil you have.  They like regular watering and good drainage.  They flower when they are fairly small and they produce a good amount of well formed fruits if you hand pollinate the flowers (search for a posting about hand pollination of annonas). If you don't hand pollinate the flowers, you will get fruit, and some of them may not be well formed.  But, they will be perfectly acceptable fruits.
In the Winter time, they will shed most of their leaves.  In the beginning of Spring, I prune my tree heavily and I fertilize it for the first time. I keep my tree more or less 12 feet tall. By the way, my tree is 15 years old.
Diseases?  I have had problems with aphids, scales, and meally bugs.  I guess you just have to keep on eye on them and treat the tree as soon as you seen any problem.
The fruit?  The fruit is sweet, and I like the taste of the fruit. I have a hard time describing fruit taste.  However, be prepared to spit out tons of small black seeds when eating them.  Most varieties are full of seeds.  However, you may find seedless varieties.  If you need advanced technical support of how the eat the fruit, come to Fort Myers, bring some ripe fruits and I will show you  "the Berto technique a.k.a the sub-machine gun technique"...   I have been eating annona squamosas for a very long time!  In my opinion, they are delicious!

[Carbo]

Will the "Berto technique" prep me for the annual watermelon seed spitting contest, as well? 
Thanks for the info!

[Berto]

You are welcome!]
Yes, indeed!  You no longer will get a second place, ever!